The Midrash (quoted in Orchos Yosher, Gemilus Chasadim) tells the following story:
A talmid chacham was traveling with an innkeeper when they met a poor, blind man collecting money on the outskirts of a city. The talmid chacham gave him tzedakah and urged the innkeeper to do the same, but the innkeeper replied, "You know him, so you gave him tzedakah. I don't know him, so I won't give him anything."
The talmid chacham replied, "That is your choice."
They walked further, and the malach hamaves appeared and said, "I am the malach hameves." They were terrified.
The malach hamaves told the talmid chacham, "You gave tzedakah, so your life will be spared. You will live another fifty years."
The malach hamaves said to the innkeeper, "But for you, your final day has arrived."
The innkeeper replied, "We traveled together. Is it right that he should return home and that I should die?"
"Yes, it is fair," the malach hamaves replied. "He deserves to live since he gave tzedakah."
"Let me give tzedakah now!"
The malach hamaves explained to him that it was too late. He had lost his opportunity.
The innkeeper said, "Before you take me, allow me to praise Hashem for all the kindness He has done for me throughout my lifetime."
The malach hamaves replied, "Since you want to praise Hashem, years have been added to your life."
From this story, we learn the great benefit of praising Hashem. Tzedakah couldn't save him, but praising Hashem saved his life.
HaMikdash (26:3-10), and he must say them loudly. It states (26:5) וענית, and Rashi says that he should raise his voice and say these words loudly. The Beis Yisrael explains that just as when he had tzaros, he shouted them out before Hashem, now when he is recounting his chasadim and his salvation, he should also express his praise out loud.
There seems to be a contradiction in the pasukim on whether Hashem will bestow His kindness upon us even when we don't deserve it. One pasuk (Devarim 10:17) states אשר פנים ישא לא, that Hashem doesn't shine his countenance on us if we don't deserve it. But it also states (Bamidbar 6:26) אליך פניו 'ה ישא, "Hashem will shine his face on you." The Gemara (Brachos 20) says that the malachim asked this question to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, and Hashem replied, "How can I not favor the Jewish nation? I commanded ושבעת ואכלת וברכת, that they only have to bentch (after a meal) if they ate until they were satisfied, but they are machmir on themselves, and they bench after eating a kezayis or a k'beitzah."
This hints at when the Jewish nation is still hungry, when all their needs don't seem fulfilled. Nevertheless, they praise Hashem for what they received; therefore, Hashem shines His countenance on them.
A granddaughter of the Birkas Avraham zt'l of Slonim once sighed and said "Oy" when she was going through a difficult time. Her grandfather told her to say, "Oy du" (du is you in Yiddish). Together, Oydeh is אודה to praise Hashem because when you know that your hardships come from Hashem, you will praise Him.
